Chapter 6: Selection

Question 1

What is Selection?

Answer 1

The process of choosing individuals with relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected job openings. —> To maximize “hits” and avoid “misses.”

Question 2

Hits

Answer 2

Accurate predictions

Question 3

Misses

Answer 3

Inaccurate predictions

Question 4

2 types of misses

Answer 4

• False positives
• False negative

Question 5

Who typically make the final decisions about hiring people in their unit?

Answer 5

Line managers

Question 6

Steps in the selection process

Answer 6

• Completion of application
• Initial interview
• Employment testing
• Preliminary selection in HR department
• Supervisor/team interview
• Background investigation
• Hiring decision

Question 7

Quality of selection tests

Answer 7

1. Relaibility
2. Validity
3. Interrater Reliability

Question 8

Reliability

Answer 8

The degree to which interviews, tests, and other selection procedures yield comparable data over time

• Scale of 0.0 - 1.0
• CONSISTENCY of measure
• Considered bad when < 0.7

Question 9

Validity

Answer 9

The degree to which a test or selection procedure measures a person’s attributes and predicts future behavior and how well it measures it. The selection process should be able to predict how well a person performs on the job.

• Accuracy of measure
• Considered bad if < 0.3, good if 0.3 - 0.5, excellent if > 0.5
• Criterion-related, content, construct

Question 10

Testing RELIABILITY of the test

Answer 10

3 tests of reliability
1. Test-retest
- Stability over time
2. Internal-consistency
- Degree test measures single construct
- Split half
- Cronbach’s alpha
3. Inter-Rater
- Correspondence between multiple raters

Question 11

Testing VALIDITY of the test

Answer 11

1. Rational Approaches
   - Content
   - Face
   - Construct
   Convergent
   Divergent
2. Empirical Approach
   Criterion-related validity
   - Predictive
   - Concurrent

Question 12

Content validity

Answer 12

• Evaluated by SMEs
• Extent predictor assesses job-relevant behavior

Question 13

Face Validity

Answer 13

• Do applicants see link between test and job requirements?
• Assessed buy job applicants

Question 14

Construct Validity

Answer 14

• Convergent and divergent validity is collected
• Evaluated by experts

Question 15

Empirical Approach: Criterion-Related Validity

Answer 15

Determines a relationship between selection test scores and job performance

• Predictive
• Concurrent

Question 16

Predictive

Answer 16

Predictive
- Test job applicants before they are hired.
- Later on the job, measure the performance of those hired and compare it to their initial test score.

Question 17

Concurrent

Answer 17

• Test existing employees while simultaneously measuring their job performance

Question 18

Validity Coefficients

Answer 18

The correlation (r) between a predictor and a criterion.

• r > 0.5, great prediction
• r between 0.3 and 0.5, good prediction
• r < 0.3, not great prediction
• r2 indicates variance accounted for by test.

Question 19

Incremental Validity

Answer 19

Degree to which validity of total selection method increases with each new test

Question 20

Ways of using multiple predictors

Answer 20

• Independent predictors of performance (criterion)
• Correlated predictors of criterion (performance)

Question 21

Value of the test

Answer 21

Utility
- Degree to which information from selection method enchances bottom line effectiveness
- Does the test increase the accuracy of the selection process

Question 22

Interviews

Answer 22

Structured:
- Standardized questions, probes, conditions, & response codes
Unstructured:
- Unstandardized open-ended questions, no planned response codes

Question 23

Situational Interviews

Answer 23

• Hypothetical problems posed during the interview
• Key assumption:
  Intentions predict actual behavior
• Key to successful interview:
  questions should be in the form of dilemmas

Question 24

Behavioural Inteviews

Answer 24

• Question ask about applicant’s experience
• Key assumption:
  best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour
• Key to successful interview:
  Do not accept general answers that describe typical behaviour

Question 25

Legality of the selection method

Answer 25

- Hiring based on up-to-date job analysis - Use valid predictors for performance - Recruit for qualified and diverse candidates - Apply human rights equity and legislation

Question 26

Making hiring decision

Answer 26

- Clinical strategy - Statistical strategy - Multiple hurdle approach - Banding

Question 27

Clinical strategy

Answer 27

Subjective evaluation of all information and making an overall judgment

Question 28

Statistical strategy

Answer 28

Use a formula which includes all valid predictors and hiring candidates with the highest score

Question 29

Multiple hurdle approach

Answer 29

Multiple predictors are used, and candidates only move on to the next phase if they pass the previous one. Hire those candidates with the highest score on the last hurdle.

Question 30

Banding

Answer 30

Multiple predictors are used, but applicants who fall within a range of scores are considered equal.

Question 31

Why do interviews stay here to be implemented?

Answer 31

1. It is practical 2. Serves other purposes 3. Greath faith and judgment

Question 32

Types of structured interviews

Answer 32

- Situational interviews - Behavioural description interviews

Question 33

Methods for administering interviews

Answer 33

- Panel and sequential interviews - Video interviews - Computer-Administered interviews

Question 34

Panel interview

Answer 34

An interview in which a board of interviewers questions an observes a single candidate. Interviewers pool their observations and rating scores after the interview → reach a consensus about the suitability of the candidate. The advantages of this method are: - Reduction in bias (there are multiple inputs) - Discrimination is minimized - Applications are more likely to accept decisions made by panels

Question 35

Sequential Interview

Answer 35

A format in which a candidate is interviewed by multiple people, one right after another. Different interviewers who have a vested interest in the candidate’s success.

Question 36

Video Interviews

Answer 36

Interviews conducted via videoconferencing or over the web

Question 37

Computer-Administered (Automated) Interviews

Answer 37

Interviews in which the questions are administered to applicants via computers; the interview can be conducted at a firm’s facilities using kiosks, online, or via phone. Can’t ask candidates follow-up probing questions Perceived less favorable by applicants Used mainly as a complement rather than a substitute for live interviews.

Question 38

Interviewer best practices

Answer 38

1. Understand the job 2. Establish an interview plan 3. Establish and maintain rapport and listen actively 4. Provide information as freely and honestly as possible 5. Use questions effectively 6. Separate facts from inferences 7. Recognize biases and stereotypes 8. Avoid the “halo error” 9. Control the course of the interview 10. Standardize the questions asked

Question 39

Model's of statistical approach

Answer 39

- Compensatory - Multiple cutoff - Multiple hurdle - Selection ratio

Question 40

Compensatory Model

Answer 40

A selection decision model in which a high score in one area can compensate for a low score in another.

Question 41

Multiple Cutoff Model

Answer 41

A selection decision model that requires an applicant to achieve a minimum level of proficiency on all selection dimensions.

Question 42

Multiple Hurdle Model

Answer 42

A sequential strategy in which only the applicants passing the cutoff score at an initial evaluation stage go on to the next stage. The process continues through several stages (hurdles). Useful when testing procedures are expensive and when there is more time to make the hiring decision.

Question 43

Selection Ratio

Answer 43

The number of applicants to be selected compared with the total number. If the selection ratio is low, only the most promising applicants will be hired. When the ratio is high, very little selectivity will be possible because even applicants with mediocre abilities must be hired if the firm’s vacancies must be filled.

Question 44

Cross-Validation

Answer 44

Verifying the results obtained from a validation study by administering a test or test battery to a specific sample. Administering a test or battery of tests to a specific sample of people to verify the results obtained from a more extensive validation study. - Organizations can assume that cognitive ability tests will predict performance in their workplace, but they must collect their own data to confirm that this relationship does in fact exist in their specific work environment

Question 45

Criterion-Related Validity

Answer 45

The extent to which a selection tool predicts, or significantly correlates with, important elements of work behaviour.

Question 46

Concurrent Validity

Answer 46

The extent to which test scores (or other predictor information) correlate with criterion data obtained at about the same time from current employees.

Question 47

Types of Tests

Answer 47

- Job knowledge tests - Work Sample Tests - Cognitive ability tests - Polygraph tests - Personality and interest inventories - Honesty and Integrity Tests - Physical ability tests - Medical Examinations - Drug testing - Assessment centres